Top 18 Tips for Goal Setting in 2018

There’s just something about the year 2018. Sure we’ve all experienced a New Year before. But for some reason, this time around things seem different. Call it whatever you want, there is a new sense of urgency in the air. People are tired. But tired in a good way. People are tired of their own excuses and self-defeating behaviours…

This time around, though, people are not willing to take chances.

The time has come…

People all around me are strapping on their gym shoes, starting up their businesses, taking back their power in relationships, starting to resolve their differences, knocking on doors and not taking ‘no’ for an answer. It’s clear when it comes to the goals of 2018 that this is the year that we all mean business!

Not only that. 2018 seems to be the year in which people have enough consciousness to realise that in order to get from A to B, they are going to have to manifest their own greatness. As you begin goal setting, you can take some inspiration from my personal goals for 2018 to inspire you to make a change. Get ready folks, strap on your boots, put on your driving gloves and put the pedal to the metal… it’s time to tip 2018 into over drive!

Tips for Successful Goal-Setting

One of the first things that you have to do is be authentic! Be true and honest in this exercise. Your life literally depends on it. Many of us have common New Year’s resolutions. So please know that you are not alone.

1) Build your Bridges- At the end of the day when we arrive at our graves, the unnecessary details of who said what to hurt the other’s feelings, will all come to dust. While you’re alive build your bridges and mend those fences, especially with friends and family.

2) Carve out Time for Self-Care- The noise of this world can be soul-crushingly destroying. It is so easy to get caught up in deadlines or exam stress, that you can very well forget that you’re human. When last did you have a massage? Lotion your feet? Or even just walked barefoot on the grass? Those things matter. Make time for it.

3) Find your Voice- All of us are addicted to comfort in some shape or form. Call it societal conditioning, but we preserve the status quo at all costs. To not rock the boat in a relationship, to hold on to a job, or even to keep family bonds harmonious. However, none of this serves who you are and your life does NOT resemble you. Finding your voice is an important part of being authentic and living your truth. FIND YOUR VOICE!

4) Step out of your Comfort Zone- If your favourite catch-phrase is; ‘But it’s always been done this way.’ – It is definitely time to go back to the drawing board! Have you always wanted to learn how to surf, get out there and do it! Feeling self-conscious about a new exercise at the gym? Feel the fear and do it anyway.

5) Find your Focus- I get it, we live in the digital age where it can be very easy to get sucked into an app or lose yourself in the social media space. But truly speaking these are not the real things that make us lose focus. We are secretly scared of putting ourselves out there. Because, just what if we’ve bitten off more than we can chew? What if we end up looking foolish? These are truly the things that get inside our minds and make us lose focus. Instead of getting caught up in a frenzy, focus on one thing at a time, give your energy to one thing at a time. Do the things that require your most creative energy first.

6) Health is Wealth- If you look good, you feel good. Bottom line. As much as we want to run away from it, there is no way around it. As the famous saying goes- Don’t see exercise as a punishment for what you ate, but rather as a celebration of what your body can do. With a bit more vitality, your blood pumping and oxygen flowing freely in your lungs, is there really anything you couldn’t do?

7) Live in the Moment- Do you see the blessings right in front of you? The air that you breathe, the delicious and satisfying food on your plate? Think about it, in most cases, you didn’t have to battle for food or a crust of bread. If at any time you find yourself wallowing in the past or your mind hurtling toward the future, appreciate the finest details of where you are in your life. Savour the moment.

8) Express your Gratitude- When last did you stop to give thanks? Besides thanking others, what about being grateful to yourself for all that you do and can do? Why should you even begin to think of how to express your gratitude? When you are grateful you find ways to generate feelings of positivity, not just for yourself, but for others too. Your entire worldview changes with feelings of peace and an attitude of gratitude.

9) Do the things that bring you Joy! - You’re alive! Today is a special occasion. Why wait? If the things in your experience are not bringing you joy, it may be time to re-examine your life. Look at what works, drop the relationships, friendships and associations that are draining you. Trust me, you will begin to feel alive.

10) Reassess your Goals- So you started somewhere and had a goal in mind. Whether it was your career, your relationship, your state of finances… but somewhere along the line, your life has taken a path that you could have never possibly imagined. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, but there is nothing wrong with going back to the drawing board. Never be afraid to take a look at your strengths, find ways to reassess your goals and live the life of your dreams.

11) Say No- There’s no running away from it. Some people suck. Some people have no other agenda but to come into your life, cause drama and leech off your personal resources. Say a loud, emphatic NO to these people. When you are preserving your sense of wellbeing, you don’t need to provide any explanations.

12) Say Yes- Don’t hesitate when it comes to joy. Your happiness should be a priority, not an option. Sometimes in life, we can become so jaded, that we look for the bad things and not take up the good opportunities when they come our way. In as much as we are sometimes cautious when it comes to life, it definitely helps to be spontaneous and be open to new experiences.

13) Say Less and Do More- Quit whining. I say this in the nicest way. Life will always throw you a curve ball at any given time of your life. That’s a given. On the other side of the scale, if you keep talking about things and never doing anything about it, you are going to become tired and lose passion. Conserve your energy, channel your purpose into doing things that will give you a positive outcome.

14) Take to the Steering Wheel of your Life

Are you just meandering through your existence? Let’s face it, nobody wants to hear or even answer a question like this. So what does that mean to you? Meandering often comes from being hesitant and unsure of what to do next. If this has struck a nerve, it may be time to stop just going with the flow and actually take to the wheels of your life.

15) Explore your Passion

We each have skills, passions, talents and ideas that are unique and indigenous to us. It is our own unique selling point. The things that make us, us… Yet those are the very things that we sigh at quietly and pack away. We give up too easily on our dreams. Have the courage to explore your passion instead.

16) Give back to society

It is always our intention to give back to society. But it’s not something that we immediately rush to do. It might come to mind if we are invited to a CSI activity or somehow if it is work-related, but how about just getting to it in our own daily lives? If you can afford it, it doesn’t take much to begin a simple sandwich drop-off or volunteer your time at an organisation after hours.

17) Have fun

No prizes for guessing on this one! We can often get so caught up in our daily lives that we forget to just have fun. Do whatever it takes to find your happy place. Take a walk on the beach, enrol in some dance classes, and go make art… Whatever fun looks like to you, do it!

18)Take a Risk

Nothing ventured, nothing gained- honey. If you are always living the same life with the same fears, on a daily basis, you will never progress or discover anything new. Have the courage to step out of the box and try something new. You may just find new friends, new experiences and new opportunities waiting for you just beyond the horizon.

Bonus Point: Challenge your Excuses

We all make them. We all have some ridiculous excuse about the obstacles that we face in our lives. Things that we say to ourselves about why we are not progressing, reasons why we refuse to put our hearts on the line or turn away from living to our true potential. The time has come to challenge your excuses, look your fears squarely in the eye and roar in the face of that fear. You deserve a life that is rich, full and fulfilled… Now go out and get it.

About the AuthorLaeeka Khan- Media professional, senior writer and blogger at Educor Holdings.

I blog about matters that relate to education and personal development. I am an out-of-the-box thinker, fascinated with perceptions of the mind’s eye, the power of imagination and creative learning. I am passionate about the human experience, and an avid believer in dialogue, breaking stereotypes, sharing information and the power of the arts. I also appreciate fine coffee and dark chocolate. Join me on this journey of knowledge and exploration.

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